Once again I teach Western European Notation – required by the Ontario Music Curriculum- while attempting to decolonize our music program. “Why is this one way of notating sound taught here more than all others?” my students and I discuss. Further context: I take my graduating Music Council members out for a sushi lunch and ask them to email me the following year about their Gr. 9 Music class experiences. This year many wrote that they felt musically competent, creative, and confident but for high school band classes, my grads need to be better at reading Western European Music. And so my JLPS students studied, practiced reading and playing, and composed with notes on the staff. It is an uphill battle for many because they lack any previous exposure and many see no future use, but we battled together and won. Empty Garage Before Dad Freaks will be remembered!

JLPS’s Steel Pan group gets gigs! I worked with their conductor, Roshane Wright, to put together a school show in March where my Grade 2s and 3s performed with the Pans players. Our finale was Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” with the pans, Towers School Singers, Towers School Band, and all my primary kids – so much passion! JLPS Pans also rocked their performance at TDSB’s Panfest.

As a child I always had to carry my own violin case and now I make sure my own children carry their instruments. It instils a sense of ownership, responsibility, and pride. My JLPS students, even the littles, know how to get out and put away all of the instruments they learn to play in our music room.

One day I sang, “Pack it up, pack it up” to signal the end of class and now it’s a school-wide thing. They all sing it with me and are incredulous if I just say that it’s time to pack up. Weird how traditions start. I wish I’d chosen a more inspired tune…

I just love doing a graphic score project in the spring when student are craving “free time.” In past years, this rule-free notation was stressful for some students but now they’re all used to being musically creative and confident. They can work solo/in a group, use any instrument they’d know how to take out and produce sound on, create any kind of graphic score they can imagine, and choose to perform it for the class or just for me. Then we exchange music – the scores in these pictures required others to decode and calculate!

The JLPS Towers School Band had back-to-back gigs in April. We supported the JLPS Kindergarten/Gr. 1 Firepit Singalong Concert by strumming along with all of their tunes. The next day we packed up to perform at the TDSB esme music festival (expanding success in music education); working with Doug Friesen we demonstrated how quickly our band can pick up new tunes. A fearless, fun team!

I can’t tell you how much my students and I love music centres! I suggest two quiet centres: books and iPads (music apps only), plus one open jam centre with instruments they know, and one centre with you-either introducing a new instrument (cello!) or for one-on-one assessment. You choose the groups (number off), keep an eye on the clock, have them point to their next station before rotating, and enjoy!

Student musicians chose and created our concert theme, pieces, instruments, music parts, and arrangements. It was a joy for me to perform with these kids! Huge shout out to my incredible Gr. 7/8 Music Council who helped me plan the show and set up/tear down the stage…twice!

This year we’re studying how music affects our brains. Our beloved EA, Ms Lee’s, Mom just turned 100 and sometimes she forgets things, but she was able to name 6 of her favourite old songs-from Beatles to Elvis to Beach Boys. My primary classes and I made video performances and sent them to her and the students’ families. Fun Fun Fun!

Last week I got to greet my Towers School Band members in the halls with, “Massey Hall is a go!” We’re so excited to have 2 song writing sessions with The Good Lovelies AND join them on stage for a song at their Dec. 11th show…at Massey Hall!

When JLPS opened I mistakenly purchased this composer timeline. Last year I showed it to my students and asked them to spot why I was going to return the product. They immediately noticed that the majority of composers were white and male. The students each chose an artist they believed worthy of celebrating and our new timeline is now on our back cupboards-from Yo-Yo Ma to Coi Leray to XXXTentacion. Much better!